


Only You (would get yourself in this situation Wei Wuxian)

by lolmouseywritings



Series: Immortal!Lan Zhan [1]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020), 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: Immortal!Lan Zhan, M/M, May change the rating, WangXian, background Joe/Nicky relationship, it's a sip but better safe than sorry, tw alcohol and meds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26226877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolmouseywritings/pseuds/lolmouseywritings
Summary: Lan Wangji was supposed to die, instead, he finds himself waking up, scaring the Lan disciples as they were preparing his body for burial. Now centuries later, he's at his home preparing lunch, still playing his inquiry.Andy just wanted to get some alcohol, even though she knew that Lan Wangji was hiding it. She just didn't expect to meet an oddball.As for Wei Wuxian, he only woke up a month ago. It's not his fault that the Chinese Mafia was chasing him.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn
Series: Immortal!Lan Zhan [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1969051
Comments: 59
Kudos: 117





	1. A Familiar Tune

**Author's Note:**

> So I've had this in Tumblr but since I wrote more than I expected I figured I would place this in ao3.  
> I did expand a little more and edited the story a bit more, so I hope you enjoy it.

Andy walks down the street in a small town in China. Their group had finally decided to visit Lan Wangji's home. It's a cozy place, but she could see it as a sanctuary. A very secluded sanctuary, that's too far from the nearest town. Andy, however, was on a mission to buy beer for the group.

They loved their silent friend, but his lifestyle that's too close to a monk is not for them. She was glad that he never really enforced his rules on them, even if she knew why.

Still, whoever heard of not holding alcohol for their friends. For as many times Lan Wangji offered his home as a good hideaway, you'd thought he'd keep liquor for them. And she wasn't ready to share her suspicion that he has alcohol. She would like to find it herself and confirm her suspicion.

A dismal, airy tune plays in the air.

She stops as it becomes familiar. She only heard it a handful of times, but it's one that Lan Wangji plays. He plays it when he searches for someone when it's the only thing that tells her that some nights and days are too much. He plays it when he is searching for him.

Andy looks around and finds a young man, sitting high on a tree branch playing a bamboo flute. It appeared to be a bad one by the sound of it, but she still recognized the song.

He notices that he has an audience and sits up, giving Andy a better look. His black pants and heavy style boots had certainly seen better days. The ratty, red shirt on him was too large, the proof being the tie to the side. He looked sloppy and messy, just like his short black hair.

"Did you like my music? If you liked it, you can drop some money for me," he grinned, a playful air surrounding him. Andy chuckled.

"From the sound of it, it sounds like you owe me. Whoever you bought that flute from needs to give you a refund." She retorts as the young man laughs.

"Didn't but it, I made it. But it would certainly be nice to have a better dizi." They exchanged names.

Yuandao, as he introduced himself, was rather flirty and charming. He was also digging for information. Andy was confused. Whenever she met someone who was looking for something, she would be on guard. But it was like he didn't know what the current events were. He didn't know who was in charge, or how to use his card. She reprimanded him for showing his bank card to her.

They parted way's after that, Yuandao claiming he was in a hurry, ducking when he caught sight of a black van.

She waves goodbye and counts to five before she turns around. She manages to track him and keep her distance.

That piece was too familiar and unique for anyone else to play. How this man managed to play a song only known to few was a mystery she intended to find out.

~~~~~

He walks away from the tree, making random turns, jumping over fences, and even climbing over buildings. Wei Wuxian knew that the Moling Su Triad was looking for him. It would be bad news if they managed to catch him with his old scrolls. No way was he letting them take them.

It felt odd when he touched his old manuscripts. He remembered when he wrote in these newly made scrolls. He wrote all his ideas and theories on manipulating resentful energy, as well as his blunders. He also remembered when he fell, forcing Lan Zhan to let him go. It was for the best. Nobody needed a demonic cultivator.

Nobody.

It was a shock to him when he woke up a month ago. He was in a room with a blinking box, bookshelves lined with books, scrolls, and cultivation items. He even found a glass coffin, which ended up housing a Sect Leader inside.

'Poor Sect Leader Yao,' he thought. 'His soul must be in turmoil with how they are treating his body.' This world is a wonder though, the bright lights at night, roads made of black rock, big metal boxes moving down the roads, he knew they were cars now. He's amazed at how everyone dressed. No longer did anyone wear robes. They had pants, button-up shirts, and with how much skin the ladies showed. Wei Wuxian couldn't help but snicker at the thought of Jiang Cheng qi deviating, or better yet Lan-

He stops his train of thought when he sees a familiar black SUV. The men that come out don't even hide their guns (another concept he had to learn). He takes a step back, still remembering how one went grazed his leg. He remembered the hot burning sensation and how his skin felt the stinging sensation for days. Just remembering the pain hurt. He was lucky there was a doctor who helped, even if he was questionable.

"Hey! I know that you're looking for Hu Lexin. But would you believe me when I say, I'm not him?" He chuckles as he backs away from the men, nervous. He bumps into someone. He looks back, hoping it's not one of them that caught him off guard. Wei Wuxian is surprised to meet the woman from before. An- An... what was her name again?

"Uh, help?" He receives a smirk.

Oh man, did he make a mistake?

He's proven wrong when she throws a canister at the triad, grabbing his arm. He doesn't know where she's taking him, but as long he's far away from them, he figures he's in good hands, for now.


	2. The Tradition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lan Wangji's life may not be like it was before, but he still has his traditions.  
> Nile gets an insight into Lan Wangji, she didn't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whooop! If you've seen this on Tumblr, give it a read. I did add and changed a few things around. If you haven't, then please enjoy it!

Andromache and Quynh stood in front of the gate, stared down by two guards dressed in white and blues. They had traveled long and hard until they finally arrived at Cai Yi town. They've heard rumors about the dreaded Yiling Patriarch and gossip of the fall from grace Lianfung-zun. But the one they were most interested in was the Hanguang-jun.

All that everyone could say was that he suffered such a grievous injury, everyone thought he was dead. The man survived, but his injuries were too much that he no longer left his home. Both women were willing to bet that wasn't the case.

"We wish to speak to your leader, Zewu-jun," spoke Andromache. A man with sharp eyes and an aggressive posture stepped forward.

"We heard about you two. Mercenaries from far away land, asking questions about our clan." Andromache wanted to laugh. It was funny how he attempted to intimidate them. Before an altercation could happen, the group is interrupted.

"Lan Jingyi," a soft but clear voice calls out. Both groups look up and see another Lan disciple. His attire was different than the  others , but he didn't appear impertinent.

"Lan Sizhui, we're taking care of this-" He stops when he sees his friendly smile.

"Lan Jingyi, I'm surprised to see you here." He says nothing but looks away. Lan Sizhui sighs but holds a smile on his face as if he expected such an action.

Lan Sizhui looks at them, "Greetings, am I right to hear that you wish to speak to Zewu-jun?"

"That's correct," spoke up Quynh. Andromache glared at her, but Quynh gave her a single look. Andromache conceded and let her take over. She puts her hands together to greet them.

"My name is Quynh, and this is my friend, Andromache of Scythia. What we wish to speak is of vital importance. Please, may we speak with him?"

They are surprised when he leads them through Gusu. The place reminded them of the many monasteries that they've been.

They arrive at a tearoom, and someone is waiting there. The man with dark blue robes was sitting by the table. His face showed smile lines, but there were creases on his forehead. He has black hair, streaked in white held back in a bun with an ornamental hairpiece.

"Zewu-jun," greeted Andromache as he invited them to sit down.

"I know who you are," stated Zewu-jun as he gets straight to the point.

"My brother would tell me that he would often dream of the two of you. Even dreamt of your friend. We were sad to hear of his passing."

"And you're not scared of us?" Questioned Quynh as both women looked at each other, preparing to fight if need be.

"It would be hypocritical of me to be frightened of both of you. Tell me, why are you here?" They spoke for a good while, even after the tea started to lose its heat. They would hear the door knock lightly.

Zewu-jun calls them in.

It was apparent that they were related, despite the difference of age, but where Zewu-jun readily smiled, only a blank face greeted them.

"Lan Wangji, please sit."

~~~~~~~

Lan Wangji started to prep the meal after he kicked out the others. With a new person in the group, he wanted Nile to enjoy the meal. It didn't help that Nicky started to tease him about giving Nile his bland cooking. Nile, being a good friend, was kind to say she would try out his food.

He saw both Joe and Nicky look at each other and knew they were making a bet.

Lan Wangji's tempted to add some of the Yunmeng Chili Oil to one of their dishes. He won't do it, but he's sorely tempted to try.

With the prep work done, he went ahead and started to finish up only one plate. It was a simple bowl of rice stained in red. The spiciness of the chili caused his nose to itch as he covered it. With a bundle of incense sticks and the dish he prepared, he walks towards a small memorial hall in the back.

The mountain air is fresh as he steps out, feeling at peace. He hears his friends laughing as they played a game by the front porch. He bows his head as he passes by.

As he arrives at his destination, he quickly lights the incense and offers a quick prayer. Once done, he heads to one tablet that's in the back. It reads Wei Ying. Wei Wuxian.

He places the bowl in front of him, unveiling it. From his qiankun, he pulls out his guqin, Wangji. Allowing his qi to circulate, he plays Inquiry.

Maybe this time he'll get an answer?

~~~~~~~

Joe's stomach hurt with how much he was cracking up. He couldn't get up much less breathe, but he composed himself.

"Nile, you cannot move that piece there," he snorted.

"Yes, I can," she answered with a smirk. Nicky rolled his eyes at the childishness. He embraced it though, laughing at their jokes and teasing along the way.

Nicky catches sight of Wangji, waving at him as he bowed his head. It doesn't escape his eyes that he carries the incenses and bowl of rice seasoned in chili oil. On a whim, he leans back and catches sight of the white robes, freshly cleaned. It told him exactly what he needed to know;

In a serious tone, he looks to Joe. "You've got your whites?" Joe looks confused until Nicky moves his head towards the memorial hall. Joe's eyes widen in surprise.

"Is it that time?" He asked as Nicky nodded. Nile is confused.

"White? Don't tell me you're talking about your tighty-whities?" She jokes.

"No," Joe chuckles as he rolls the dice to move his piece. "There's a day that Lan Wangji observes. He wears white, and if we happen to be around, we join him too."

"Why is tomorrow so important?" She asked.

"He's honoring the dead."

" So, he's holding on to them. His family."

"Oh, he's fine with his family. They lived a full life. It's his crush that died when he was young," Nicky slips out. He receives a silent reprimand from his love. Nicky scratches the back of his head, embarrassed. He rolls the dice, hoping to catch the prize, as Joe takes over.

"As you've seen, Lan Wangji has been very loyal. He wears white to mourn, and we've adopted the tradition." Nile nods and looks at the direction that Lan Wangji took.

It was hard to get a feel for an emotionless man. He spoke very little, and when he did, it was either to reprimand or to give caution. He told jokes, but it must be an inside joke as she could never catch it. She had resigned herself that their relationship would be a strained one. He was a man who just seemed to prefer his solace while all she wanted to do was go back with her family.

It was awkward as she drove in the car, away from Andy and Booker, with Lan Wangji. Somehow they ended up talking about their family, mostly about their siblings. She talked about her responsibilities as the eldest, and he about how he would support his brother. He spoke how he had to stay with his Sect when they realized he could not die. How his brother was fiercely protective until Andy and Quynh arrived, looking for him. What she liked about him is how he understood why she wanted to go back. He told her that if she wanted to go back, there is no shame, and when she was ready to leave, she could visit his home in China.

She cried as Lan Wangji stayed silent. It was a comforting silence, one that told her she wasn't crazy to want to see her family again.

A ring from Nicky's cell interrupts her thoughts. He stands, putting their game at a standstill, and with a mischievous smirk, Joe moves Nicky's piece back a couple of spaces. She snorts, holding back her laughter. They notice Lan Wangji, who walks up to them, noting that something was up, but all he can do is raise his eyebrow.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY'RE SHOOTING AT YOU?!!" Lan Wangji is quick to gather their equipment, the keys, and his sword Bichen.

As they got in the van, Joe in the driver seat, while Lan Wangji asked Nicky what happened, Nile could not help but worry.

When she told Andy to have fun, this wasn't what she meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I would be able to update this as quickly, but I did! ;-)  
> Next chapter I will take us back to Andy and Wei Wuxian.
> 
> They should be the best of buds! o(*￣▽￣*)o
> 
> *looks to the side knowing full well what a handful Wei Wuxian could be*  
> *not sure if she is prepared for this*  
> *I have not even started editing and writing out the missing parts that I want to write.*


	3. Run, run and run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy: Can you shoot?  
> Wei Wuxian: Yeah  
> *thinking about shooting a bow and arrow*  
> Andy: Good!  
> *Tosses him a gun*  
> Wei Wuxian: O.o Crap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The gunfight scene...  
> took FOREVER!!!!!  
> I knew what it looked like, I knew what it should look like but writing it was a hassle!  
> I was able to finally plan it out with stickmen drawing, wrote a summary of each scene, then translate it to the page. I may post it on Tumblr later, but I hope you enjoy this chapter! And sorry if it feels stilted.  
> P.S. It does feel a bit short and I apologize. Work is picking up so I may not be able to update as fast as I would like to, but I hope you enjoy it!

They run, passing multiple houses as they ducked and took cover. They were lucky to have lost them a few times, leaving Andy the chance to call Nicky. Their luck ran out as one of the triad men caught sight of them. As he calls for the rest of them, the two-run to another set of buildings.

Andy grabs Yuandao as she pulls him into one of the buildings, and they crouch. A large group of 12 to 15 men passes by them.

'Whatever Yuandao has must be important,' thought Andy. They would never send such a large group for one person. Usually, just a small group of men is best, a quick snatch and go.

Two men, stragglers, pass by. Yuandao stands up and puts his hand on the door frame, accidentally bumping to a metal bar that was right by it. The thing falls with a loud clatter alerting the two men. Andy curses as she sees the two men call their buddies.

"Oh, uh!"

"Dammit, Yuandao!" She grabs him by the collar and pulls him further into the building. "Go upstairs!" She orders as she turns around, pulling her gun out from her holster.

With Yuandao heading to the second floor, Andy is quick to take out the first two men. The bad news was that the first wave arrived surrounding her.

She grabs the guy behind her, using him as a shield. He was useful as he takes three bullets for her. With deadly accuracy, she took out the other two with headshots before turning around and kicking her 'shield' to his friends.

A shot goes to the neck as the man holds his neck trying to stop the bleeding, while the other is holding the dead man, is too late to stop Andy. He never noticed the knife she pulled out from her back pocket. She picks up a gun from one of the men and checks for the ammo. It had enough ammo.

Andy runs upstairs following Yuandao, whom she notices is throwing boxes. The ex-immortal looks behind to see why. The rest of the group finally caught up.

She shoots two times, causing the men to duck.

"Yuandao, can you shoot?" He looks confused, but answers.

"Yeah." She quickly tosses the gun to him. If he looked confused before, now his face transformed to shock. Andy did not have a chance to think about this as their enemies took advantage.

It's not until she sees Yuandao shoot that she realizes the mistake she made. The bullet manages to hit one of them to their chest. It would be a decent shot if the gun did not go back and hit him on the face, more precisely his nose. She's quick to take the gun away from him, only to hiss in pain when a bullet hits her on the shoulder. Not one to let the enemy go, she bites her lips as she lets a shot out, the vibrations traveling to her wound. The pain, though unbearable, was quickly dismissed as they ran to one of the rooms. They found some bookshelves that would provide cover.

Andy grit her teeth as she pulled the idiot behind her. Who knew that talking to this idiot and investigating him would lead her to be shot? He didn't miss it, but it's obvious now he never held a gun before in his life. Did he not understand what she meant when she asked if he knew how to shoot?

"You're banned from using guns." She growled at him. He dared to look surprised.

"Hey, not my fault! You only asked if I knew how to shoot. I didn't expect this thing. Give me a bow and arrow, and I'll show you how well I can shoot." He argued back. She had the urge to smack him, but she held back as their enemies came in.

She cleared her mind of her frustration as she aimed their heads, not giving them a chance to attack. There were fewer men than she thought as she turned around and found the rest. They were quick to dispatch. It wasn't until a moment later she realizes that they had something sticking to them. There were paper men stuck to their chests.

She grabs her "bad luck charm" finding a window with a broken down fire escape ladder. It was tricky getting down, but they managed. They travel to the outskirts of the town and find a spot that would shield them. After a few breaths, she turns to face the young man, who sat on his butt, holding on to his green atrocious looking backpack.

"Why the hell are they after you?" She questioned. He rubs his nose before answering.

"I don't know they think I can do something for them."

"Can you?"

"Nope!" He answers as he makes his mouth pop. "I can drink, sleep past 9 o'clock and perform magic tricks." He states as he pulls out each finger, "None of which can help se-, I mean the Triad."

Andy narrows her eyes but says nothing. If Yuandao wanted to hide what was going on, then let him. He didn't ask her to help him. All she did was use her smoke canister and grab him.

He looks at her and opens his mouth only to close it. After a moment, he speaks.

"Thanks for saving me, uh..."

"Andy," she supplies, realizing he was trying to remember her name. "What did you forget already?"

"I'm not the best with names, even less with faces, but I can't forget about you now," he laughs. Andy stiffens a bit but relaxes.

That's right, she's losing her immortality, so having someone like Yuandao, know her wouldn't be too bad.

"Not that I'm complaining, La-Miss Andy, but why did you save me?"

"Saw you were in trouble, you looked pretty scared," she answered. Yuandao scoffed playfully but smiled, his eyes lighting up with joy.

"Thank you." He leans back, hiding, as his companion keeps an eye. She signals that they are safe. He grabs a small first aid kit that he had in his backpack and a bottle of water. As he examines the wound, he makes a worried sound. "Can we take out the bullet?"

"No," she answers, her eyes wincing from the pain and the headache from the adrenaline rush. "But let's clean the wound. Once my friends get here, they can help." Yuandao nods and washes and tends to the wound the best he could.

~~~~~~~~~~~

When her friends arrived, they arrived in a beat-up white van that had most certainly seen better days. It didn't escape Wei Wuxian's eyes that its windows were slightly tinted. A young beautiful woman comes out of the vehicle and assesses the wounds on Andy.

"Hey Nile."

"Don't hey me, when I said have fun, I didn't mean this." Andy chuckles at her retort. They both pick her up and take her to the van. Before she goes in, she holds on tight to Wei Wuxian.

"You should come with us."

"That may not be wise-" he starts only to be cut off from his savior.

"It's not smart to leave you here, especially since they're still after you. Come on, Yuandao, we can hide you with us." At her insistence, Wei Wuxian follows her. He pauses at the sight of the man with long black hair tied in a ponytail with a white ribbon. If Wei Wuxian didn't know any better, he would say he was looking at Huanguang-jun. That is impossible, centuries have passed, and there would be no way that Lan Wangji would be alive. He checked.

Before he could contemplate changing his mind, he hears yelling from the forest. Het gets in the van clutching his backpack tightly. A dark, musty blanket is thrown over them, hiding them from anyone who could look inside. It wasn't until they were a few miles away that they took off the blankets. The Lan Wangji look-alike looked over Andy's wound.

He tsked at the sloppy job. Wei Wuxian looked to the side, a bit miffed. So he never dealt with bullet wounds before, and he wasn't counting his. He thought he did pretty okay, he hoped.

Nile took a look as she pulled out her first aid kit. It was bigger than his red kit, and when she opened it, he couldn't help but think how Wen Qing would love one. Granted, she would add her deadly needles.

The man with the black beard stops the van in a remote part of the wilderness. Wei Wuxian notices that they are alert as the look-alike watches the back, and the man sitting next to the driver sits up, a gun in his hand.

She pulls out the tweezers, a bottle labeled alcohol as the man next to her prepares the bandage. She cleans the wound thoroughly before setting the bottle down and grabbing the tweezers. He feels an icy shiver across his face as she pulls out the bullet.

"Didn't break apart," she says, smiling at Andy. "Vey lucky." Andy laughs, leaving Wei Wuxian wondering how normal is this truly.

The van starts up again as Wei Wuxian sits back, watching the two patch Andy up. He didn't even realize he held his breath.

He only came back to life just a month ago, and yes, he's confused about today's modern world. However, being in the back of a van, running from organized bandits, and taking a bullet from someone's shoulder did not look like it was normal!

Still, he says nothing as they drive to an obscure home up in the mountains. Though it's small, it looked like a sanctuary. It reminded him of Cloud Recess. That look-alike must be a descendant of the Lan's, he thinks.

They take Andy into a room upstairs. With a gulp, Wei Wuxian follows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that bullet wound scene...  
> I did research it, which may have put me on a watch list, and from what I understood bullets are not always removed. In fact, removing it causes more damage 🤷🏽♀️ depending on the wound.  
> However, as the author, I went ahead and said go with the movie magic for now.  
> Knowing me if I kept that, I would have to go back to that scene and it may impede what I write later on. If anyone wants to correct my understanding I'm more than welcome to it.
> 
> Edit: I corrected my misspelling and a plot hole about the van moving. Thank you Avanie and shadowlilxin!


	4. Who are you, Yuandao?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy remembers the first time she heard the song.
> 
> Lan Wangji gets some crucial information, just too bad. Yuandao is a runner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not edited how I want to but Grammarly being a little *pfft* :-P

Leaving Cloud Recess was hard on Lan Wangji. His brother had finally passed, something that was sad for the Lan Clan members. However, few were saying that it was bound to happen. All Andromache heard was a venerated brother passing. She tried to inquire more, but when they found her listening, they quickly closed up, quoting some bullshit about talking about people behind their backs. As if they weren't doing it.

She knew that both she and Quynh were unwelcome. If anything, they looked at them with distrust, Zewu-jun, however, insisted that they stay to find out more about their immortality.

The funny thing about it was they didn't know why they could not die, why they could survive with a blade through their gut, or when an arrow strikes a fatal blow. It just happened. Another curious thing is how immortality affected Lan Wangji.

The first time he died, he was a strong cultivator. His golden core is powerful and known to help those in need, but then he took an attack meant to kill Mo Xuanyu. Something happened that day.

"So, his golden core is sealed?" Asked Quynh as Lan Xichen rested on the bed, one of his bad days when he could not get up.

"That's right. Lan Wangji can still feel his golden core, by my brother cannot direct the energy anymore. The ability to transfer energy or to utilize the talisman is gone. He can still use Bichen, but not the way he used to." Lan Xichen would later confess that he was glad they arrived, for he feared what would happen to his brother. It's known that cultivators whose cores became sealed later became demented and died. Lan Xichen understood why his brother didn't succumb to it as he still had his son Lan Sizhui.

Andromache could see why. Lan Sizhui, though cultured, was always gentle and always strived to find a peaceful solution. It was notable when he would join his other friends on night hunts. What she found hilarious is how he always seemed to look at her, always on alert. He was like a child who was about to his father to a new wife. Did he think she was trying to take his father? Andromache shuddered. He is not her type. That man was cold as ice, and no way would she think about him that way.

As they were getting ready to leave, they could see that Lan Sizhui was upset after the funeral rites, hugging his father, making a promise to keep his things safe. She wasn't sure what they were talking about as Lan Wangji took what he considered the essentials and either gave his things away or burned them. Lan Wangji teared up as he hugged his son, a rare action as she never saw him even touch anyone. He has a son, though, so obviously, he had to bed his wife.

It was dark when she went to look for him. They had traveled quite away and found no inn to stay, so they settled to camp under the night sky. Lan Wangji excused himself as he went to a secluded place. It aggravated her, as both she and Quynh knew that being separated was a bad idea, but Quynh merely nodded. 

When she asked why this was her answer, "I spoke a lot to Lan Xichen. He says that Lan Wangji is a man of few words, but with a lot of passion. What he does not say he keeps it private, but if listen and watch him, he is not that hard to read." 

Andromache looks away. Not that hard to read? She scoffs. That man's face is a permanently etched stone, like a cold jade. When the food was ready, she headed out to find Lan Wangji. She realized that he traveled far, which aggravated her more, but she finds him at last. It was the music that caught her attention as she walked up to a cave.

It is the soft strum of strings that brought her anger to a simmer, then to awe. She watched as the soft glow of the fire illuminated the Lan's back. She slowly walks up to him, careful not to disturb him, his eyes, single-handed focused as if he was trying to achieve something with this song. The fingers were quick and precise, playing such melancholy sounding melody. Andromache had a feeling she wasn't supposed to hear this.

Deciding it was best to leave, Andromache's caught off-guard when he suddenly pulls his sword. It was only her quick reflexes and perhaps Lan Wangji's sealed core that allowed her to move out of the way. He is quick to stand up and put his sword away.

"You're too close," is all he say's. Any other time and Andromache would be pissed, ready to fight Lan Wangji. He was too closed off, too blunt, or never made himself clear. After speaking to Quynh, she paid attention. The way he pulled his sword only to realize that he was attacking an ally. It was minuscule, but she could tell that Lan Wangji did not mean to pull out his weapon to attack her.

"Yeah, I was," she replies, and she receives a shocked (?) look from her new companion. He looks down.

"Forgive me. I did not realize you were here."

"Well, I didn't reveal myself so, I guess it's more of my fault than yours. Sorry." They were quiet for a moment, a now awkward silence between them. Andromache decided to break it by inquiring about the song he played.

"It's... private." He answered. Andromache accepts the answer, not insulted at all. There were things that she didn't spill to Quynh, as close as they are, just like Quynh didn't tell her everything.

They go back to the camp, with Quynh a little upset that they took too long. Lan Wangji apologized and promised that next time he would tell them when he would return as not to worry them. It would not be the only time he would leave them, and both of them would find out in time why.

The first time she made him drink, they both had to stop him from causing mischief and even marking houses. They even had to destroy the walls since he wrote, Lan Wangji was here! Quynh was so furious she forbade Lan Wangji from drinking a single cup ever again. Lan Wangji merely hummed. 

Quynh looked annoyed as if she realized that he only said that to appease her. She said nothing for when he was intoxicated, they finally heard about Wei Wuxian and how he missed his love. They said nothing. Over time, though, their curiosity got the best of them, and they would hear snippets of a young boy who infuriated him but was loyal to his ideals, how he stood up to save a group of innocent civilians, and how he died.

He played his Guqin to see if he would if he contact his deceased love. 

Quynh worried whether it was something he needed his golden core. She still remembered the words that she exchanged with Lan Xichen. Andy figured that Lan Wangji did not care anymore. Lan Wangji is stubborn and refused to let go. 

She never told Quynh about the song, but Andromache knew who that song was, a song she was never supposed to hear in the first place. She had learned to listen and read Lan Wangji and that same look he had in his eyes is the same look when he spoke about Wei Wuxian, his soulmate. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nile kept watching on their new friend as Wangji and Nicky patched up Andy. First, he fiddled with his bag, then with his bamboo flute, rubbed his nose, looked around, and started the process again. 

"Hi my name is Nile, and this is Richard. What is your name?" She asks. Andy was out of it when she revealed her name, and in order not to raise suspicion, she kept up with her name, but the others were quick to give a fake name. 

"Yuandao." The man responds as he greets them, his hand over his fist. He coughs into his arm. Nicky, or Richard in this case, was kind enough to bring him a glass of water to drink. Yuandao thanks him as he gulps water. 

"Tell us, how did you get in so much trouble with the Chinese Mafia?" Nicky asks Yuandao as their guest chokes on the water. Nicky takes the cup and hands it to Nile, who gives him a towel. Nile is quick to go to the kitchen, away from their sight, and looks through the kitchen drawer. She finds the tape quickly and lifts the prints. It would be too easy for their new friend to lie to them. 

"Eh, Richard-Zhuban, can you be nice and ask me a question when I finish drinking? I’m really thirsty.” He looks around looking for the cup, only for Nile to return with a new one.

"Here, your cup spilled," she states. Yuandao thanks her and sips slowly this time. Once done, he sets the cup down. 

“I don’t know,” he finally answers. “I just woke up, found the place a mess, packed some stuff, and ran off.” Yuandao talks about how he had been avoiding them for days and how he was sorry that Andy got into his mess. So far, his personality seemed pretty legit. Very worried about his situation but trying to make the best of it. Too bad Nile's gut was telling her something was not right. 

She receives a ping on her cell. As Nicky continues to talk with their new friend, Nile walks away to look at her messenger.

** [Your guy is Hu Lixen. He has been with the Moling Su Triad for a few years now. They are known to be trafficking people, drugs, and ancient artifacts for the past two years. They just reported him missing and as a person of interest. Be careful.]  **

Nile passes a look to Nicky. 

He attempts to grab Yuandao’s backpack, but he holds on to it. 

“Sorry, I just wanted to show you to your room. You must be tired.” Stated Nicky as Yuandao put on the strap. 

“Well, please show me the way,” Yuandao responds as he waits for Nicky to lead. As they go upstairs, Nile calls Copley. Better to know what they are getting themselves into before they dig in any deeper. 

~~~~~

It was a mistake coming here, and Wei Wuxian needed to leave. The problem was he has no idea where he is, and he had no intention of being caught by the triad. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to lie down on the bed and groan. 

Staying in this room isn't working, he thinks as he gets up and cracks the door. He hears whispers coming from down the hallway where Andy's room is. He closes his door and sets his talisman ready. Transferring his conscience to a paper man was dangerous if he gets caught, but he needed answers. The paper man slips under the door and heads over to the room. 

“And you heard him play the song?” 

“Yes, it was horrible because of his dizi, but I’ve only heard that melody from you, Lan Wangji.” Wei Wuxian is shocked cold. 

Is that man Lan Wangji? Hanguang-jun. Lan Zhan? There was no way it could be. Cultivators aimed for immortality, but he looked, and nowhere did he find any hint of a cultivator. He was only around for almost a month, but no way would it be that easy to find another cultivator, much less Lan Zhan. 

A man with dark curls speaks

. 

“Is it possible that maybe he is a descendant of yours? Maybe someone from your family passed it down?” 

Lan Wangji shakes his head, his hands gripping the blanket tightly. “No, Joe, the only one I played it for is dead. He is the only one I played to. The fact that this man played this song is an anomaly.” 

He looked strangely agitated as if he was in disbelief. 

“Then how does Andy know?” Asked Joe, confusion in his voice, this brought the man out of his state. 

“Andy is nosy.” He replies, receiving a slap on the arm by her. Lan Zhan, however, did not seem mad. There was a slight tilt to his lips. It’s quickly gone, which made Wei Wuxian a bit sad, but he shook it off. 

“I’m not. You were just in that cave for a long time, and I wanted to tell you dinner was ready.” Wei Wuxian hears the light steps from the other occupants and quickly hides behind a bookshelf. He watches as Nile sits down as Richard sits next to Joe rather close, almost intimate. 

“We have got info on the guy from Copley,” starts Nile as she passes her cellphone. It was something that Wei Wuxian has wanted to get his hands on. Sadly, the last one he had ended up riddled with bullets. “His name is Hu Lixen, was in school for Ancient Chinese History until he had bad luck with finances. Dropped off the face of the map to avoid debt collectors and is then seen with the Moling Su Triad a few years later.” 

Now the sneaky cultivator had to wonder how they managed to get that information. He still had the identification in his bag, and it never left his sight. **NEVER**. 

“Moling Su?” Wei Wuxian could see Lan Zhan’s eyebrows furrowed as if remembering something. 

“You know about them Wangji?” Asked Richard as he wrapped his hands with Joe’s. 

_Oh_ , they were together. Wei Wuxian didn’t know why that caught his attention, but their interaction was so… natural. The care in their touch, how when one moved the other instinctively adapted to their partner’s need. It made him blush and feeling horrible. Like he was peeping or something. 

He had to pull away from his eyes and look at the rest of the group. He felt unsettled. He doesn't know why, but it brought a half-formed thought to his mind. Something that made it hard to watch Lan Wangji now. 

He still looked as handsome when he last saw him: Beautiful, fair skin, black hair, and golden eyes. Lan Wangji lived up to be second on the list of cultivator gentlemen of their generation. He would not be surprised if ladies still threw themselves at him. But, was he really Lan Wangji? 

“Not the triad, but there was a small cultivation Sect. When I came back a few hundred years later, they were all but almost diminished. Their leader was despicable.” Everyone is silent at Lan Wagnji's statement. 

“Well, they seem to be after our friend Yuandao,” remarked Andy as she hissed. She then pauses and looks to Lan Zhan. “I noticed something strange. We ended up ambushed, they have caught up to us, and there was no way we should have come out the way we did. I took care of half the guys as quick as I could, and when I turned back, I noticed that the other half were on the floor, out.”

"So, he can defend himself," spoke Nile, but Andy shook her head. 

"There was paper man cutout placed on their back." It confused everyone except for one. Lan Wangji’s eyes widened as if he just received confirmation. 

That was Wei Wuxian’s cue to go as he cut the connection. He grabs his backpack, no way was he leaving these scrolls behind, placed a chair by the door handle, and jumped out the window. 

Whether this man was Lan Wangji or not didn’t matter. If he was Lan Wangji, he would capture him and punish him for his use of dark cultivation. If he wasn’t well as much as he is thankful to Andy for saving him, all this secrecy rubbed him the wrong way, and no way was he going to be kidnapped for some unknown reasons. 

So, he jumps out the window. Nobody told him the landing would sting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yes, the puzzle pieces have come together~! Muahahaha! Now Lan Wangji better catch up to Wei Wuxian lol 😁
> 
> In other news:  
> I swear Grammarly is trying to get me to buy its stupid program. I may uninstall it and find something else


	5. Stinging Nettles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lan Wangji knows he found Wei Wuxian. Now if he only stopped playing dumb.  
> Of course, the actions of Hu Lixen are being revealed and Wei Wuxian may end up with his consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added a few scenes!!!
> 
> Hope you like it!

Yuandao. Hu Lixen. Wei Wuxian. 

He didn’t know how or why, but he knew that the man Andy saved is Wei Wuxian. And though he knew the others would ask how this happened or how he knew, in the end, it didn’t matter to Lan Wangji. 

What mattered to him was that he needed to talk to Wei Ying. Needed to see him and wash away the blank look he still remembered from that cave when he asked him to go away. The blank, dead look in his eyes that still haunted him to this day. The scars on his back didn’t matter to him, the seclusion he had faced was trifling compared to the immortality gifted (cursed) to him. He just wanted to see Wei Ying, wanted to see the smile in his eyes, that mischievous smirk that promised harmless fun. He just wanted Wei Ying. 

The only problem was that the door would not open. He looks underneath the crack of the door and notices a shadow, perhaps a chair, pushed against the door. 

He steps back, and with a controlled force, kicks open the door. 

He hears Joe telling him to calm down, but that didn’t matter to him. The room was empty, and the window left open. Nicky peeks in and curses. 

Lan Wangji runs and jumps out the window, remembering to land on the boxes that were on the side to avoid the Stinging Nettles. He took note that it looked disturbed. With a quick burst of speed, he runs. The forest around his home was thick but he slows down when he tries to track the footprints that Wei Wuxian left. 

It didn’t take long as he finds him on the floor, scratching his back. He looks up and smiles nervously. 

“Oh hey, any chance you could forget me and let me run?” Wangji doesn’t answer him as he takes off his button-up shirt, allowing his companion to see him in a sleeveless shirt, his arms flexing as he picks up Wei Wuxian, wrapped in his shirt. 

He turns to see Nile, who looks off guard by the scene before her. 

“I’ll need antihistamine and hydrocortisone. It should be in the first aid kit where Andy is.”   


“Huh! Why?” Asked Nile as she finally notices that their guest was starting to look red. 

“He needs a bath-”   


“Hey!” Yelled out the runaway as he continued to scratch only for Lan Wangji to stop him.   


“We must relieve the sting and remove the nettle hairs.” He then walks back to his house. He avoids the curious and careful looks from his friend   


He didn’t care about the question of how or why. All he cared about was that Wei Ying was back. 

~~~~~~~~~ 

Joe stayed in the room with Andy as the others went to look for Yuandao. As much as he wanted to run and join the others, Andy’s condition was their priority. He would think that Wangji would think about that, but was caught off guard when Andy waved it off. 

“Don’t hold it against him, Joe. Whoever this Yuandao is, he obviously has information that Wangji wants.” 

“And what information would he have that would make him leave like this Andy? In our entire life, I have never known him to run out like this.” 

“Wei Wuxian.” Joe looks confused. 

“Is that the name of-” Andy nods. “But he’s dead. Why would he-” 

“Joe, you know the answer to that.” Joe knew. If it was Nicky that was taken from him, he didn’t know how he would live. This gift that he has with Nicky would be a curse. A hell on earth where he would wish is to be reprieved to be with his moon and stars. 

He knew the depths of his loyalty and love. It would be near-obsessive, maybe he is, but from what he knew, a love lost when it didn’t have a chance to flourish and bloom between them... 

Of course, the man would hold on to the pain in his heart and any news pertaining to his soulmate must be like droplets of water quenching his thirst, as if he was stuck in the desert.

Joe sighed and packed the medkit. Andy will be okay and it would be best if he finished preparing their meal. It will be without their alcohol but after today he didn’t think anyone would want to drink. 

(Who was he kidding? He wanted some, if they only knew where Lan Wangji hid it.) 

He goes down the stairs in time to see Wangji carry their new friend who seemed to be turning red. Joe could only stare as he knew that Wangji did not like to touch anyone. Not unless they were helpless, and getting a rash did not count. 

“Stinging nettles,” replied Wangji, as if that would distract him from what he was really thinking. 

“Right,” he answers. Let him think he will not bring this up. Joe will definitely bring this up and with Nicky so they can figure out (and tease) what the hell is going on. He gives Nicky a look as Wangji goes upstairs. Nicky merely shrugs and goes upstairs seeing what he could do to help. 

  


~~~~~~~~~ 

  


After the embarrassing failure of his escape, it forced Wei Wuxian to be in an even more embarrassing scenario. He was being bathed by Hanguang-jun. 

To be correct he was getting the nettle hairs removed and, dear heavens, was he red in the face. It spanned from the top of his back to his lower back and each removal lead a whimper out of his mouth. Who knew that a little stupid patch of plants, meant to break his fall, would cause him more trouble than it’s worth? At least his host was kind enough to remove it. Even if it’s from Lan Wangji, whom he was still trying to convince himself that he is a descendant of the illustrious Hanguang-jun. 

He held back his whimpers as Lan Wangji was now working on his lower back and removed the last one. The lukewarm water was now starting to get chilly, but his host had a towel ready for him. Wei Wuxian breathes a sigh of relief. For sure the torture was over, he could get dressed to go to bed and try to escape in the morning. He was wrong as the Lan made him face down the bed and rubbed the cold lotion on his back. 

“It’s so cold!” He yelped.   


“If you didn’t jump in my garden, then you wouldn’t be in this situation.”   


“Who keeps plants that will cause you to itch in their garden!?” Lan Wangji raises his eyebrow as he looks away. Oh, right, this guy. “So, uh, after I do all this I’ll be on my way-”   


“You’ll stay.”   


“Aren’t you being so bold? I only have this rash and as soon as it’s gone, I should be good to go.”   


“Wei Ying stays” His blood freezes, his fear confirmed. He wonders if he can play dumb. 

“Who’s this Wei Ying? Is this a sweetheart?” Lan Zhan looks right at him, nonplussed.   


“It’s you.” Wei Wuxian laughs, trying hard to throw him off, even if he felt the irritation from the rash.   


“I’m Yuandao, not Wei Ying.” Hanguang-jun looks away. Wei Wuxian wasn’t sure, but he felt that he wasn’t buying it.   


“Yuandao is Wei Ying.” A knock at the door brings their attention to Nicky, who holds up a paper man.   


“Is this what you were hoping I could find?”   


Lan Wangji looks back to Wei Wuxian. “Only Wei Ying can use this paper man. You are Wei Wuxian.” 

Wei Wuxian misses Nicky’s shocked face, who quickly closes the door, intent on letting Joe know the latest curveball. (After telling Andy of course.) 

Yuandao. Hu Lixen. Wei Wuxian. He knew that with cultivation; it was best to look to Lan Wangji for direction, but this was too much. They needed answers to this convoluted matter. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“What do you mean you lost him?” The man quivered as sweat rolled down his neck. 

“We lost track of Hu Lixen. A woman met with him and managed to escape with Hu Lixen. We tried to capture them but they managed to esc- Wait! Please! Let me explain-!” A single shot is heard as the man falls to a thud. The man sighed as he silently orders his men to dispose of the body. He gets up from his chair and passes, various articles of cultivation items they recently ‘acquired’. 

The bottle of gin was uncorked and he pours it into a small cup. The man downs it as he walks back to his desk and opens a tab on his computer. 

It plays a recording of Hu Lixen going over some scrolls. The peasant he hired was a bit of a fool, believing he could try his hand at cultivation, not knowing that there was no way he can do it. After all, not just anyone can try creating a golden core, he thought smugly. His smile wipes off when he sees the scene once more when dark energy surrounds him and the man is knocked out. 

Of course, that idiot had to prove him wrong, but what surprised him is how when he woke up and instead of rubbing it in his face that he had done what no one else could, he runs. He grabs the scrolls of the Yiling Patriarch, a few rare talisman’s and runs. 

Did this man think he can make something of himself with this dark resentful qi? The audacity. He slams his drink down, almost cracking the glass. His sect will catch him, his sect will learn how to utilize resentful energy and- 

And- 

The glass breaks in his hand, not minding the cuts as he absentmindedly removes the fragments. 

He’ll get back the Stygian Tiger Seal that Hu Lixen stole. He has no idea where the man hid it, but he did not doubt that the peasant did it. He was the last one to handle it and he disappeared with it. 

As soon he got what he wanted, Hu Lixen will pay for his insolence. He’ll pay it with his life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did forget my bad guy's name and I am looking through my notes  
> 😅😶😳  
> And yes, the cultivators still exist, but when you have a dumbass asking around for them, of course, you're going to ignore him. It doesn't mean they forgot about it, or that news won't travel.


	6. When I Woke Up...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wei Wuxian can't lie about his identity, nor ignore that the man before him is Lan Wangji. Still, how did he get into this situation with the Triad?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say thank you to Vetus87 for beta reading this chapter!  
> I'm also loving all the kudos and comments.  
> It really cheers me up when I see other's enjoy this story!
> 
> Anyways, here is a very important announcement:  
> DO NOT MIX MEDS WITH ALCOHOL! NO BUENO~~! VERY BAD!
> 
> Sorry for that but I figure I should warn about triggers. It's just a sip, but still a bad idea.
> 
> Words in Italics: Speaking an older form of Chinese Language.

Although 24 hours have passed since his humiliating failure to escape, Wei Wuxian still felt the sensation of the rash. Lan Wangji was kind enough to help him with the lotion. Though it was embarrassing needing Lan Zhan’s help, it was better than suffering the itching sensation.

It was hard to believe that it was Lan Zhan he was seeing and talking to today. The man who hated him, who chased him to the burial mounds, all so he could imprison him in Gusu, was here in this 'modern' world. He couldn't deny that this is Hanguang-jun, which left him to wonder if anyone else was alive? Maybe Lan Qiren is still alive to torment the youth with his 3000+ rules?

It made him laugh but shuddered at the thought. If Lan Qiren is still alive, no doubt he would punish him just for breathing.

Wei Wuxian shook his head and leaned on the chair as a cold compress did its work. He had to admit his hosts were considerate, but it still didn't erase the fact he was being watched like a hawk. At least they didn't take the bag. Andy came in with two bottles in one hand and gave him one. She then sits next to him, hissing a bit from the bullet wound. Wei Wuxian thanks her and takes a sip, only for him to spit it out.

"WHAT IS THIS?!"

"Beer," smirked Andy, and before she could take her first sip Nile comes in and takes the bottle out of her hand. "Hey!"

"Not while on antibiotics," she responds as she walks away, drinking her beer. Andy curses under her breath. 

Andy did not feel amused about the beer theft, but as Joe explained, she shouldn’t mix her meds with alcohol. If there was one thing she missed, it was the rapid healing. Losing her immortality was starting to suck a bit.

Andy turns to face him as he still tried to get rid of the taste. It was nothing like the wine from back then. He wishes he could have some, and that included Uncle Four's batch. It hadn’t been bad, but sometimes the man wanted to experiment, and he would get a bad bunch of wine, then Wen Qing would go after them as Wen Ning and A-Yuan-

Wei Wuxian stops his train of thought. He didn't want to think about that right now. Any other time would be better, but not when he's with an unfamiliar group, even if Lan Zhan was there.

"It tastes like piss," he states as he holds the bottle away from him. Andy tries to grab it, only forLan Wangji to come in and take it, only to hand him a white bottle with a cork. Wei Wuxian smiles and yells out, 'Emperor's Smile'; Lan Wangji, looks like a content cat at his antics. 

Andy stares down one of her oldest companions. "I knew it!"

The man dared to smile. It wasn't the full-blown smile that Nicky and Joe like to give, but it was that tilt of a smile he tends to do when he's amused. It disappears, but it still didn't erase the fact that he was hiding alcohol in this house <b>the entire time</b>!

"Not mine to give. All of it is Wei Ying's,” Lan Wangji explains as he sets down the cups, their guest pouring the wine. Andy noted the name. If she remembered correctly, that was his birth name. Interesting.

Wei Wuxian sighs as if defeated. "I guess I can't hide who I am, but I admit I have trouble believing that you’re here, Hanguang-jun. I looked around and found no one. Tell me, how strong is your golden core? I did the math, and not even the masters in our time stayed as young as you." He sips his cup as both Andy and Wangji exchange looks.

"Not my golden core," he explains as Wei Wuxian's eyes narrow, his lips slightly open as if ready to push for more. Nicky, however, comes in with Joe and Nile, the latter coming back with a folder.

"Sorry to interrupt," started Nicky, who set the file down as he stood tall, "but we have some troubling issues at hand. You, my friend, are in some serious shit-, wait is that alcohol?"

"I believe it is Nicolo. Hey, where did you get that-," Joe is interrupted.

"Wait, stop before we get mad about the alcohol, what do you mean, Nicky?" Nicky opens the file and shows it to Andy, who quickly reads it.

"After digging around information about the Moling Su Triad, we realized that not only do they have deep pockets, but they're part of some elite organization. They have people in the government and the criminal underground. They seem to be in drug trafficking, organ dealing, you name it, but lately, they seem to be moving around ancient Chinese artifacts."

"What about the organization?" Asked Andy. Joe took over as he shook his head.

"Nothing much to be honest," Joe answers. "We don't even have a name. We only know that it's almost as old as China." Joe then turns to look at Wei Wuxian. "My question is, what did you do to piss them off?"

The rest look at their new recent guest who finishes off another cup of Emperor's Smile, looking nonchalant.

"I did nothing," he says. He looks up to see disbelief in their eyes. He could understand why the illustrious Lan Wangji would look at him that way. They had a history, and he has been there to see his worst and most degrading decisions.

(Saving the Dafan Wen's was never the evil path. He would argue with anyone that made that comment. He wanted to stand by the side of righteousness and protect those who needed help, and they needed him. He owed it to after all, to Wen Qing and Wen Ning did for him and Jiang Cheng. Gods he missed his didi and shijie)

But the others looked as if they knew him. Wait-

Did Lan Wangji talk about him?

If he did, did that mean he didn't hate him?

Wei Wuxian had to force himself to calm down. He focused himself and looked at the others and told them how it started for him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

He woke up with a headache, blurry vision, and a tilting world. If he hadn't grabbed the nearby table, he was sure he would have fallen to the ground in the most shameful matter. Luckily, he didn't and just groaned as he scanned his surroundings. Nothing looked familiar except for the scrolls. They're aged, but he could recognize his handwriting anywhere. He spied a handful of cultivating artifacts, decorative vases, and artworks. The blinking box next to him let out a screeching sound that irritated his ears.

Not liking his surroundings, Wei Wuxian quickly grabs an open leather bag and shoved his scrolls and a few talismans into it as he walked by a corpse.

(Is it just him, or was that Sect Leader Yao?)

Once he made it out of the door he is immediately overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. There were loud horns as people walked out late at night, lights shining off large metal poles that seemed to shine brighter than the sun, and the buildings towered over him as if they were reaching for the heavens. He almost wanted to go back inside.

What was this place? Why was everything so loud? He took a deep breath and walked down the narrow steps, picking up the pace. He stops when he sees two men dressed in black coming up the stairs.

"Hu Lixen! There you are; The boss wants to talk to you," called one of the men. Hu Lixen? Is that the man who summoned him’s name? Wei Wuxian is confused and looks around to make sure he is not getting it wrong. When he saw no one, he points to himself. 

_ "Me?" _

"Yes, you! You have a lot to answer for, you damn bastard." The man pulls out something from his back. He can see its made out of black metal, which was bent, and it's pointed right at him. Wei Wuxian laughs nervously.

_ "I don't think you have the right person. Why don't I move out of the way-." _

The man points his metal thing towards the sky and it makes a deafening ‘bang’. Screams ring out in the distance as Wei Wuxian covers his ears, the sound loud and abrupt.

"I don't know what you're muttering, but I said the boss wants to talk with you. Now come over here, and we may decide not to beat you up." He goes down the stairs willingly and sees a large black metal-enclosed carriage with black wheels. Whatever world he landed in, the objects here are interesting.

A drunk, elderly man passes by them and bumps into one of the men escorting him. Taking his chance, Wei Wuxian runs. The words they spoke almost sounded familiar but hard to understand. He didn't want to know what they wanted, but no way was he staying with them, especially with that loud weapon. He hears the loud and abrupt sound again, but this time he feels a near blinding pain in his leg. Luckily, he’s had worse, so manages to ignore it until he loses his assailants.

Finally, he is able to lean against a building close by, only for the wall to give way. Wei Wuxian lands on the floor, hitting his head as an old man looks down at him. He's tired, and his dizziness is getting worse. He blacks out.

~~~~~~

It turns out that the man who opened the door prefers to be called Uncle. He was a doctor who practiced medicine in the alleyway and, out of the kindness of his heart, an old, cantankerous heart, checked his leg. Uncle informed him he was lucky it didn't hit an artery or bone. Wei Wuxian was just thankful that his bad luck didn't rear its ugly head. Seeing that he had no money, the old man merely made him work around the clinic for the time he spent there. During that time, he devoured new knowledge, such as about cars, bright lights powered by electricity, and how the Chinese dialect changed and his dialect was out of date. Severely, out of date, which he only knew because Uncle is a linguist, despite practicing medicine. Who knew that old fuddy-duddy's hobby would be learning different languages?

Wei Wuxian never questioned when Uncle had random patients come in at random hours of the night. Or when he came up to him and made him swear secrecy on who came in. He didn't see the need to tell, nor  _ who  _ to tell. Although grumpy, Uncle was kind enough to give him a place to stay and teach him. Said he was the best student he ever had, to which Wei Wuxian retaliated, saying 'he was the only student he ever had.' Uncle only smiled like he held a secret.

The momentary happiness ended when he caught sight of his pursuers. He told Uncle, “thank you” and “goodbye”. Even though the old doctor told him good riddance, Wei Wuxian could tell he was sad. He teases him one last time, causing Uncle to throw his shoe at him as he ran laughing.

He wouldn't have minded staying with him, he would have been fine taking care of the old doctor, but that wasn't something he wanted to share. Instead, he tells the others how he attempted to find other cultivators, like the Jiang Sect, with their Lotus sign plastered on the side of the building. Wei Wuxian ran when they called the cops on him.

The temple was a dud. Either the monks didn't understand what he was talking about, or, the worst incident, meeting some impersonators that tried to hoodwink some people. He was lucky the monk vouched for him when a cop was ready to haul him off for beating up the cheat. The monk, and other people, had made complaints about the man who sold fake charms. 

The demonic cultivator is upset. He was the only one; there were no other cultivators, and his friends are dead, the Wen survivors he failed to save are gone, Jiang Cheng is dead probably cursing his name as he died, and Lan Zhan…

During his time out on the streets, he could not help but think that if the great Hanguang-jun appeared before him asking him to come to Gusu, he would take the offer. Funny considering he ran from him over and over before. 

The world (despite the wonders that it presented to Wei Wuxian) had changed too much for him. He wanted something familiar, but it was no use. Centuries had passed, and all Wei Wuxian could do was learn about this modern world.

(His audience didn't need to know that, and he had no intention of letting them know that. Not even he was thick faced enough to let Lan Wangji know)

Instead, he tells them how he travels south, and in his downtime, the resurrected cultivator reads the documents he did not mean to take. 

He indeed inhabits the body of Hu Lixen, due to an ID, a bank card-which he didn't even know how to use-and most importantly, Hu Lixen's journal. It was in code, but he was able to decipher some of the words. It also may hold the key as to what Hu Lixen had been doing and what he wanted. Stupid of him really to not look at the array before he left, but it was no use crying over spilled milk.

He may feel upset, but Wei Wuxian did not plan to mope around. He planned on moving as far as his feet could take him. So he moved on until that fateful afternoon when he met Andy.

~~~~~~~~~

"So, you came back from the dead?" Asked Nile, confused on the how.

"Yup! This Hu Lixen modified my array to place me in the corpse, but the spell went wrong, and I got his body instead. Still don't know how he got it wrong. From the looks of it, it should have worked." The entire explanation was just a big fucking headache for Nile, but Andy merely shrugged it off.

"So this boss from the Moling Su wants to talk to you. Do you know why?" Andy asked. What was so important that a triad boss wanted to talk to Hu Lixen?

"Never found out," shrugged Wei Wuxian, but he pulls out the journal. "The journal is hard to decipher, but he may have written something important that may have to do with why his boss wants to talk to him."

"May I?" Asks Joe. Wei Wuxian nods and passes him the book as Joe peruses through it.

"Andy, this may take some time, but I can try to decipher it." Andy looks to Wei Wuxian.

"Do you mind?"

"As long as I can look at it." With the agreement made, Wei Wuxian pulls out his notes, which Lan Wangji grabs.

"Your notes." Wei Wuxian nods. "We thought we lost them."

"Well, the Moling Su Triad had them. I don't know what they were attempting, but they had a lot of cultivating artifacts." Andy groaned in dismay. It may have been centuries ago, but she still remembered how troublesome cultivators were. She still recalls their uppity attitudes and the shit they tried to pull on her and Quynh. If it were not for Lan Xichen, the whole situation would have been bloodier.

"Okay, here's the plan." She gets up as she directs the group. "The triad saw both Wei Wuxian and me together. So we need to lay low. Wangji, Nicky check out the village nearby. We need to know if they are still around or if they moved on. Nile call Copley. We need to see if he can dig up more information on the Moling Su." She is quick to grab the bottle, Wei Wuxian makes no move to stop her. He grins at Andy as she took a sip.

"It's good, right?" To Andy, the alcohol was strong, probably from the fermentation. She didn't mind it, but she had no plans to take another sip. The look that Nile gave was murderous. She didn't forget about mixing her meds with alcohol, but Wei Wuxian's explanation of coming back to life was too extravagant. She needed something to settle her nerves.

"Yup," she answers and walks back to her room. She made sure to take the file that Nicky gave her. There wasn't much to do except rest, but she figured she could read these files and try to come up with an idea of how to handle the Moling Su.

~~~~~~

Joe was ready to beat his head against the wall. Either Hu Lixen was a genius, or he was a complete moron. The cipher changed as if he couldn't make up his mind, and just when they had something, it turned out to be a recipe for some chicken soup, and it didn't even sound delicious! Whoever heard of putting an obscene amount of cumin and hot chili oil in their chicken noodle soup? Wei Wuxian laughed about it, saying he was probably hungry and just added it in. It was disturbing how Wei Wuxian commented on trying it.

Joe did not think it was funny.

Okay, maybe it was, but now he had to wonder how much of an iron stomach this man has. Eating that much Chili sauce was certainly not good. Of course, that wasn't the only question he had. Like how did he and Wangji meet? Was he a cultivator like Wangji? What did he think about the world? Wasn't he worried that someone was out to get him?

"We met during the class sessions that the Lan Sect held. I was, well maybe still am, a cultivator. This modern world is confusing, but I'm fascinated, like those phones. I want to get my hands on one of those! I want to know why everyone is so attached to them, and of course I am. However, there has always been someone out to get me because I somehow managed to annoy them. So this is nothing new except I'm in a new body, and I had to learn on the fly." Joe blinked in surprise. He didn't realize he asked that question aloud.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend, but I'm curious as to why you don't act scared?" Wei Wuxian sets the pen down and looks at him.

"I figure, why act scared? I've always annoyed someone because of who I am, so what difference does it make when I have someone after me?" Joe processes that information and figures he can mull on it later. "I will say that I don't appreciate taking the blame for someone else's deed. If you are after me, I prefer it to be for my actions." He opens another bottle of Emperor's Smile and grabs the extra cup that Lan Wangji left before he went with Nicky to town. "Now, here. It was bad of me not to share this fine piece of work."

He pours the wine and passes the cup to Joe, who takes it. He smiles as they raise their cups and enjoy the drink. The wine is hearty, smooth, and very delicious.

"So, why is Lan Zhan alive?" Joe quirks an eyebrow. Did Lan Wangji not tell him? The coward. Maybe he wanted to soften up Wei Wuxian with alcohol before telling him. Joe felt stuck. On one hand, Wei Wuxian had a right to know about their "special" circumstances. On the other, Lan Wangji may want to tell him. He took a third option.

"Ask him when he comes back. I feel this is something that he may want to tell you himself." Wei Wuxian still faces him, but his eyes look to the side. 

Or maybe it's not Wangji being the coward? Perhaps they are both scared to talk about it? Joe may have to speak to Andy. He's sure that she may offer some advice, probably.

They immediately start to work on the cipher. It would only be a few moments later that Wei Wuxian would bring up something he never heard.

"So has Lan Zhan been using his golden core?"

...

...

...

What's a golden core?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more I want to say thank you to Vetus87 for beta reading this chapter. It was really helpful.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Now I feel the urge the draw 😊


	7. Hiding among the crowd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is now on the run. However, the Moling Su Triad may not be the only ones chasing after the Old Guard and Wei Wuxian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the hiatus, holidays were very busy. Plus I haven't been able to be near my computer until this past week. I did write in my journal so it was easy until I started adding more stuff :-D  
> I hope you enjoy this new chapter.  
> Also thanks to Vetus87 for helping me with the editing. They did an amazing job!
> 
> Edit: I also changed the title. I meant to change it but I forgot.

They left Lan Wangji’s safe house as soon as they could. After coming back from town, one of the locals had told the triad about the farmhouse up in the mountain.

Lan Wangji made sure to glare at the man who only looked away, scoffing. The old man did nothing wrong, he thought. If they were hiding then they were to blame. What the hell were they doing getting the mafia’s attention? Not his fault.

Nicky had to hold Lan Wangji back.

It was decided that they would play it safe and leave. No use in staying now, so they burned the scraps of bloody cloth, packed their belongings, ate what they could and took the van to the back roads. It was late, but the quicker they left the better. 

Once they were far enough Joe felt it was safe to use the main roads. The sun was rising and Wangji passed a meal around, everyone eating except Wei Wuxian. It wasn’t hard to see that he was nervous. 

The drive was smooth sailing until they needed to get gas.

They stop at a remote gas station and as Wei Wuxian attempts to get out, he’s pulled back.

“Don’t even think about it,” starts Andy as she gets out. Joe goes to fill the tank as Nicky and Wangji go to stock up on supplies. Nile stays in the front seat using a satellite phone to try and contact Copley.

“They’re looking for you and it’s obvious you haven’t been covering your tracks very well.”

Wei Wuxian scoffs, “Hey, how can you say that? I was quite renowned for covering my tracks in my day.” Andy merely raises her eyebrow.

“So you made sure to stay away from the cameras?”

“C-camera’s?” It’s Andy’s turn to scoff, as her mouth tilts upwards. She looks to Nile, “Don’t let him get out,” then she leaves to scout the perimeter

“Got it,” Nile sets down the satellite phone, pulls down the visor, and moves the mirror in place. Not only is she intent on keeping an eye on Wei Wuxian, but she also wants to make sure no one else gets close to the vehicle.

Wei Wuxian becomes curious as to who she was trying to call, so he asks.

“A friend of ours, sort of. He helps us out when we need a place to lay low, need information, or maybe even get rid of pictures. Some of which he keeps.”

“Pictures? He has pictures of all of you?” Asks Wei Wuxian. He loves the idea of realistic paintings, when he first saw one Uncle laughed when he asked how the artist made it so realistic. Then the old man realized how serious he was. Then he learned terms such as “camera”, “photograph” and even “selfie”. Then the old man regretted teaching him when he tried to include him in selfie’s with an old camera that Wei Wuxian found lying around.

“All of us, except Lan Wangji. Anytime he sees him he’s intent on taking a picture. Never happens though.” Explains Nile, watching Wei Wuxian laugh. So Lan Zhan is ‘camera shy’ huh?

Joe comes back and pops the front, wanting to check the engine. They can hear a slight hissing sound as Nile sighs. “Nile, I could use some help, it’s acting up again!”

“Stay here and don’t move,” she gestures with her fingers pointing to her eyes then at Wei Wuxian’s. He doesn’t get it, but he hazards that she would be ‘watching him’? 

…

…

Yeah he doesn’t get it.

Nile gets out and goes to the back to get the water jug and tools Joe’s missing. Joe grimaces, causing Nile to stay with him a little bit longer.

Wei Wuxian watches but quickly becomes bored, and as anyone knows, a bored Wei Wuxian is a recipe for disaster. He looks out the window to inspect the area.

The gas station is boring. There are overgrown weeds that started to cover the sign, the pavement is cracked and the roof looks rusted. He hears the creak and rustle of the trees as the wind picks up. He looks in the store's direction and sees that Wangji and Nicky are on their way to pay for the supplies. Wangji looks in his direction and catches his eyes. Wuxian waves enthusiastically hoping to embarrass the illustrious Hanguang-jun. To his surprise, Lan Zhan smiles. It’s a soft and sweet smile that catches Wei Wuxian off guard. His breath stops and his heart starts beating like the wings of a hummingbird.

Face red, he looks away, hoping to calm himself. He knows Lan Zhan is handsome, he told his shidi this many times, but to see the man smile like that...

‘Well that’s not really fair,’ he thought as he resettles himself and looks away. It is then that he sees it. It’s a poster of a couple of mechanical pencils with a cute animal design. Curious and bored, he gets out of the car while both Nile and Joe are busy. His pace is quick as he walks up to the poster. There are two mechanical pencils with rabbit heads. He looks into the store and catches sight of the cute writing utensils. He goes in, nods at the man running the store, who looks away from Wei Wuxian and down at the phone in his hand, and heads to the box located in the front aisle and coo’s over the design

They remind him of the bunnies he gifted Lan Wangji when they were just students. There was a white one with a grim look to its face and a black one sporting a happy smile, its eyes scrunched up. So enthused in something cute, he fails to notice someone walking up behind him.

A hand clasps his shoulder and he looks up to see Nicky glaring at him. Realizing he is caught, Wei Wuxian gives him a strained smile and shows him what he found. 

“Eh, Nicky gongzi, what do you think about these bunnies? Cute right?” His smile falters when the glare goes nowhere and he instead forces Wei Wuxian to put down the mechanical pencils. He then drags him back to the vehicle leaving Lan Wangji with the groceries. Lan Wangji looks at what Wei Wuxian was fiddling with and adds it to the basket.

As they proceed Wei Wuxian is stuck between Nicky and Lan Wangji as Andy glares at him.

“I thought I told you to stay in the van.”

“Andy guniang, how can you expect me to stay in? I was bored and I needed to stretch my legs.” Andy doesn’t feel like explaining why what Wei Wuxian did was stupid. In fact, _she_ isn’t going to, she looks to Wangji. Understanding what she was asking, he looks at the Yiling Patriarch who is slouching but looking at him.

“Wei Ying, behave and listen.”

“Really Lan Zhan?” He says teasingly. Wangji nods. With that affirmation, Wei Wuxian turns serious, sits up straight, and puts three fingers up in a salute.

“Then I promise to listen and behave.” Andy stares in disbelief as Nicky looks away while muttering in Italian. Whatever he said Wei Wuxian doesn’t know, but Lan Zhan’s ears turn red as he glares at Nicky.

“Is that it?” Questions Andy as Wangji turns to face her.

“It is, he may have trouble adjusting but Wei Wuxian will do his best.” Andy sighs and lets it go, ignoring Wei Wuxian sticking his tongue out at her. She turns back and looks at Joe who’s worried.

“What is it?”

“We’re being followed,” he responds. Andy looks back and spies a black vehicle. “It’s been following us for the past 10 minutes.”

“Shit someone must have seen us,” Wei Wuxian remembers how shifty the convenience store owner was. He should’ve listened to Andy, but now the damage was done and the Triad is on their trail.

They manage to dump the van and hide in an abandoned storehouse. There is foot traffic between them and their pursuers, perhaps enough to lose them if their group was smaller. It is agreed that they needed to separate in groups of two, if they went their separate paths with one person in each group dressed like Wei Wuxian they should be able to confuse their pursuers. Nicky passed out clothes to Andy, making sure to grab a set himself.

“Remember, we meet at Xitang Sanshe Hostel at the bridge. Let’s not bring any unneeded attention to ourselves.” Joe instructs as he gives a map to Nile and Wangji. Wangji had been here before, but he kept the map. If worst comes to worst it would be a good idea for Wei Wuxian to have the map in hand.

They stay at the storehouse for another half an hour before they go their own ways.

Andy and Nile:

They were the first to leave, which was fine. If they could trick the Triad into believing that Andy is Hu Lixen it would be worth it. As the two walk, Nile keeps looking back to Andy. She can see she’s agitated.

“You’re upset,” states Nile as she waits for Andy to chastise her. She was told to keep an eye on Wei Wuxian and she didn’t. 

“I’m not.” Nile doesn’t accept Andy’s response though, rolling her eyes. Seriously? They could have had smooth sailing to the plane and left China by now, instead, they needed to take a detour to make sure their unexpected guest was safe.

“Really could have fooled me,” she pauses for a moment and then continues, “look, I’m sorry about earlier. I know you asked me to keep an eye on him and I didn’t.” Andy scoffs.

“I’m not mad about that. Ticked off? Maybe a little, but to be honest, Wangji warned me that he tends to find trouble.”

“With what I’ve seen I’m not surprised,” mutters Nile, still miffed that he just walked out of the van. She should have kept a closer eye on him, heck, not watching someone close enough is what got her killed the first time when she was subduing the target in Afghanistan.

As they pass a few houses they both notice that they are being followed. The man tailing them is well dressed in a black suit, a lilac colored button up shirt and a dark plum colored tie. The man’s sunglasses obscured his eyes, which, as dark as it is, is already ridiculous, but what was truly preposterous is that he is wearing a gaudy, snake shaped bracelet connected to a ring with a chain of beads. 

He looked like the ringleader with his two other members following him loyally and wearing similar clothing. The women glance at each other and make the quick decision to walk into the alleyway to try and lose them. The map indicates that the area was labyrinthine, so they _should_ have an easy time losing the men there. However, they are surprised when the two followers wall jump along the alley to cut them off.

“Shit,” curses Andy as the men stand with their hands behind their backs. They had no extra accessories other than the sunglasses and no visible weapons until they push back their suit jackets, revealing not guns, but batons holstered to their waists.

“Excuse us for the trouble, but we wish to speak to you, Hu Lixen.” Both Nile and Andy turn to face the leader as he runs his fingers through his hair, only to quickly take off his glasses. He squints as he realizes something is off. “Wait a second, you’re not Hu Lixen.”

‘There goes our plan, I just hope that Nicky and Joe have better luck,’ thought Nile as she is quick to pull out her gun and try to shoot the Triad members, but she feels a shock to her nerves as her fingers bumble drop her gun and watches as it’s pulled away from her. Nile turns her attention to the ringleader and her eyes widen when she realizes that in his hand, where the bracelet/ring was, he held an electric whip. A purple electric whip.

“Great, you're not a triad member, you’re a damn cultivator,” mutters Andy as she pulls out her gun and shoots in the direction of the leader.

Joe and Nicky:

Nicky fights the urge to not scratch his head, cursing Andy and her already short dark hair. The wig he procured was hard to find on such short notice and not of great quality, but it wasn’t quality he was looking for. They just have to be mistaken for Wei Wuxian or, in this case, Hu Lixen, long enough to attract attention away from the real Wei Wuxian who Wangji would then get to safety. 

Andy is a veteran at hiding so she shouldn’t be found, but Wei Wuxian did not have as much practice as they did, with them having been able to practice for centuries. With Wangji by his side though, he should be fine, especially since Wei Wuxian held his opinion in such high regard.

Joe holds on to his hand tightly. He’s nervous, thinks Nicky as he lightly squeezes his lover’s hand back. There isn’t much he can do, except just be there and try not to do anything stupid. 

They walk under a bridge and make sure no one is around, so Nicky is quick to give Joe a peck on the lips. He moves back only to feel one of Joe’s hands travel to his waist and the other around his neck, his head resting on his shoulder.

“Come on worrywart, I’ll be fine. Now let’s go, I'm sure Wangji has his crush at the boat by now,” Nicky pulls back and grasps Joe’s hand as they walk back into the public.

Joe shakes his head. Didn’t Nicky see that to Wangji, Wei Wuxian isn’t a crush, he’s his entire world? Just like Nicky is to him.

  
  
  


Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian:

Wei Wuxian walks as calmly as he can as they pass by several groups on the street. It is apparent that the Triad hasn’t left the town of Xitang Jiangzhen, but he has made a promise, and in no way does he intend to break it. He is not going to invite trouble, which, sadly, is easier said than done.

He takes a deep breath as another group passes. They aren’t from the mafia, but that doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t sell him out if they saw a picture of him. They try to stick to backstreets and hide behind a restaurant. The smell slipping from the building was intoxicating and Wei Wuxian’s mouth was watering for the dishes inside. The smell of spice is so strong that he can almost taste it in his mouth.

“Is Wei Ying hungry?” He looks at Wangji who has noticed his expression. He wipes the drool and shakes his head.

“It’s okay, we just need to get moving. We can get food- hey wait!” The last part he whispers sharply as Wangji goes inside, a moment later he has a pork meat bun and hands it to Wei Wuxian.

“They said it’s pretty spicy.” 

Wei Wuxian is surprised and is ready to thank him, only for his stomach to growl.

“Thank you,” he says as he takes a quick bite. How embarrassing. He was too nervous earlier and therefore hadn’t eaten anything in a while, not even on the ride here to Xitang, but now that he wasn’t around the other’s and just with Lan Zhan…

He could still remember how the man would chastise him for his decisions in the past, but now here he was standing by him. How odd that the man who had pointed his sword at Wei Wuxian in his last moments of his last life was now by his side, Bichen now defending him. How no one, including himself, manages to notice his sword was a mystery. However, now that they are resting and sitting, he takes a moment and realizes that there is a talisman at Lan Wangji’s hip that had the character for ‘hidden’ drawn on it. Wei Wuxian laughs as Wangji quirks his head.

“So that’s how you hid Bichen. I was wondering how I didn’t see it earlier.” Wangji looks down and removes the talisman before replacing it. “Oh, so it doesn’t last long?” 

Wangji nods.

“Hm, I must say I’m really impressed. When I first saw this world I could barely understand it. I thought that if you lived in this world, you may be as confused as I am, but here you are, living.” Wangji says nothing. 

It’s true that the world has changed so much, Lan Wangji thinks, most of it for the better, but some not so much. He misses cultivation, as the last cultivator he really talked to died almost 500 years ago. But Wei Ying is here now, and he also can’t forget Andy and the group. They’ve had their bumps on the road and though Booker is not with them for now, he hopes he is alright. He worries as Booker is the second youngest, but Lan Wangji tries to discreetly check on him with him being none the wiser.

They keep walking as Wei Ying is quick to scarf down the meat bun and Wangji refrains from repeating a Lan rule. Now is not the time as he has noticed a group that he saw hopes isn’t not following them.

Unfortunately, his hopes are futile as, when they make another turn, so do the group. The group is dressed in casual clothes, shedding their usual, more sophisticated garb, presumably to fit in. Lan Wangji grabs Wei Ying’s shoulder and moves.

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian shouts as another group appears in front of them, some of them holding guns. Lan Wangji steers them into a building, distantly noticing it’s a school. Thankfully it is still late, so there’s no one else in the building.

They continue on and run down the nearest hallway hoping to find an exit or somewhere to hide. A gunshot goes off behind them and they’re forced to duck into a nearby classroom. They go through it and take another hallway slipping into a different classroom. Wangji slaps a talisman on himself and Wei Wuxian as they slow their breaths and crouch out of sight of the windows.

They hear the screech and stomping of shoes as the lower ranking members pass by them. Wei Wuxian clenches his hand as he tries to keep his breathing under control. He is comforted when Lan Zhan grabs his wrist gently. He feels better, having Lan Zhan at his side was the comfort he was looking for. He longs to grasp his hand in return, but refrains. 

With the coast clear they get up and sneak around making sure to check the corners. So far no one was around, which raises alarms in Wei Wuxian’s head. 

Where are the other members? Did they think they left? Or were they waiting for them outside? They could go upstairs to get a better viewpoint, however, it could lead them to being stuck. 

Lan Wangji continues to tug Wei Wuxian along as they make a run for the entrance, only for a triad member to step in front of them. Wangji prepares to pull out his sword only to hear a yelp. He looks back and feels a chill slowly rise from his back to neck, freezing him in place.

Wei Wuxian is being held back, his eyes wide as a knife is held to his throat.

“Sir, this is the guy right?”

“Yup,” answered a large man with tattoos snaking down his arms.

“What do we do about this one then?” Asks another one of his men, gesturing to Lan Wangji. The large man laughs as he pulls out his gun.

“We get rid of the witness.” Wei Wuxian screams as Lan Zhan slumps to the ground. He elbows the guy in the stomach, forcing the man to drop him, before making a run for Lan Zhan’s side. He’s horrified at the blood flowing down Lan Zhan’s face from the bullet wound dead center in his forehead. Wei Wuxian wishes desperately to see Lan Zhan’s stupid ribbon around his head so he can erase the image, but he can’t _do_ anything.

He clenches onto Lan Zhan’s shirt as something dark stirs in his heart, familiar and warm. His breathing gets choppy as he starts to panic.

Lan Zhan is not dead.

Lan Zhan can’t die.

Andy said that he is immortal.

So he should be getting up right?

Why isn’t he getting up?

Why is he still on the ground?

Get up Lan Zhan, GET UP!

That darkness chokes him but that too is familiar. The resentful energy gathering around him swirls around as if it missed him. He looks back at the men who step back, frightened by what they see.

They see dark wisps moving around, growing larger as time goes by, Wei Wuxian’s eyes glowing red. 

“You’ll pay,” he hissed causing the men to back up. The leader of the group looks at him and sneers.

“So this is what happened to the Stygian Tiger Amulet! Damn you Hu Lixen!” He raises the gun ready to shoot Wei Wuxian. His comment seems to surprise the man as the darkness recedes and his eyes turn back to normal. The leader doesn’t care though. He was told to bring back the man alive, but that doesn’t mean he has to be in perfect health. Just as he was ready to pull the trigger he chokes back his spit.

Behind Hu Lixen stands the man he shot. The bullet is pushed out of his skull as the skin heals at a rapid rate, but what was even more frightening was the man’s eyes. Before he could see the golden eyes, but now those eyes are dulled.

A sword comes out of thin air making a distinct but soft schwing sound and the screams of his comrades ring in his ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Something is wrong and Wei Wuxian can only stare as Lan Wangji takes down their pursuers.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know much about The Old Guard except for the movie, so if I get anything wrong please let me know.  
> This may not be updated as my other story but only because I think I may end up more to each chapter.


End file.
